Sectional reflector sign



Feb. 5-, v 1935..

Filed March 9, 1952 Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a sectional reflecting letter or character having a running lens portion and adapted to be used as a reflecting letter or character and to be applied sectionally to other displays or signs for producing novel lighting effects.

Among the objects of the invention are; to provide a letter or character having a sectional running lens; to produce a sign letter of large size by making it in sections; to make a glass reflecting letter having a common running lens in sections; to produce a sectional running lens which may be applied to existing signs or lenses for producing a novel lighting effect; to make a reflector lens for head-lights in whicha portion of the lens is of reflecting material lighted or operated by any source of light; to produce a sectional letter or character having a base which may be readily engaged for holding it in place and for applying it to existing frames and other signs; and in general to produce the invention herein shown and described.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred uses and embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a letter made up of sections in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of a sectional running lens in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a lens showing means for confining it in a frame;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating means for attaching a lens of this type to a supporting plate;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a running lens segment having a modified inverted parabolic reflecting surface;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a head-light lens having a sectional reflector at the edge thereof;

Fig. '7 is a part sectional view of a head-light as taken upon the line 'I-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a stop sign having a sectional reflector lens extending around thetogether, these objections are largely removed, it is easier to produce the letters, the letters are more uniform in structure, the loss from breakage is less, difierent letters can be made up from the same sections and the sectional letters of 5 large size are easier to handle and install. Other characters are also more easily made of sections which fit closely together, and sectional decorative margins are easily applied to signs and headlights for producing additional lighting effects. 10

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a sign letter is shown in Fig. 1 made up of different sections desired with the intention of using some of the same sections in producing different letters. For example, there may be a straight section 1, a comer section 2, a T section 3, segmental sections 4, inclined sections 5, and connecting sections 6, all or some of which may be used in producing different letters or characters.

These sections are all designed to have a condensing or projecting lens portion 7 which is continuous when the sections are secured together and at the base or back of the projecting lens portion is a reflector portion 8 which may be concavely or convexly rounded and with a plain 5 surface, as shown in Fig. 2, or may have a longitudinal row of circular ribs or innumerable circular projections or depressions 9, as shown in Fig. 5. If the reflecting surface is plain as shown in Fig. 2, a reflecting mirror 10 in the form of a foil or coating such as silver may be applied thereto. A similar reflecting coating may also be ap-- plied to the reflecting surface 9 but if the projections are very small and are part-spherical form it is found that a mirror coating is not always necessary.

In order to attach a nmning lens reflector of this kind in the opening of a plate 11, as shown by Figs. 1 and 3, .and for confining it as shown in Fig. 4, a shoulder or ridge 12 is provided at each side of the base of the lens portion '7 and preferably as an extension of the back or refiector lens 8 so that the rimning lens portion may be inserted through an opening of proper shape in a plate 11 and the sections pressed or held against the plate so that the lens portions which make up the letter or character are held in proper and close alignment. These sections may be left separate or cemented at the joints, 5 and in order to secure the sections tightly together they may be attached by means of a suitable transparent glass cement, such as silica or balsam, cement, which makes the joint between the sections practically invisible and also makes To secure a sectional lens of this kind in a plate 11, a parallel plate 13 may be secured back of it and held with relation to the plate in any suitable way, as by means .of a marginal frame 14. In the back plate 13 is an opening opposite the letter or character to be held in place, the sides 14 of the opening being'struck up and perforated to receive a threaded stud 15 which engages the under side of the letter orcharacter for pressing the shoulders 12 thereof against the plate 11, holding the character in place with the running lens portions 7 which make up the character, projecting from the face of the plate 11.

In order to secure a character of this kind to a, single plate 16, as shown in Fig. 4, a flat metal plate or strip with side holding wings, or metal box or housing 17 is applied to the back of the character engaging the shoulders 12 and from this back 17 projects athreaded stem 18 to extend through an opening in the plate 16 which is secured from the opposite side thereof by a lock nut 19.

It is obvious that other means for engaging the ribs or shoulders 12 may be employed for attaching the letter or characters in different places or locations where they may be used.

A running reflector lens of this kind may also be used in connection with stop signs for highways, streets and the like, and with head-light lenses for automobiles and other vehicles for the purpose of illuminating them by means of a light from another vehicle. It is found, for example, that the ordinary stop signs are equipped with a plate 20 which usually is not luminous and with letters or characters 21 which are made up of small reflector buttons 22 of glass or metal which return reflected light only in a narrow angle of reflection so that the sign is visible from an approaching vehicle only when the vehicle is substantially .in a straight line in front of it. By

equipping a sign of this kind with a sectional running lens' of the present invention having .marginal sections 23 attached about the edge of the stop sign, the sign can be seen from a wide angle whenever the rays of an approaching vehicle strike it and by its shape or color may designates warning or give other information.

By making the sections 23 of a bright or flaming color, stop and advertising signs are given a an approaching vehicle or other source of light,'

which causes the sections 26 to glow, showing the positions of the head-lights-of an automobile 'even though they are not illuminated by their own lampsl This prevents many accidents which are caused by one or both of the lamps of a vehicle being out of service and shows the position of the vehicle to the driver of. an approaching lighted vehicle.

In applying this lens construction to a vehicle. lamp 24, lens sections 26 may be applied or attached to the marginal edge or they may be a part of or built in at the marginal edge of a lens 25, as shown in section in Fig. 7, the running lens sections 26 being cemented together and to the edge of the regular lens in any suitable manner and the lens thus produced being inserted and held in the lamp or head-light 24. It may be desired to make the sectional illuminating rings of different colors, as for example, red and green, to designate the left and right sides of a vehicle. If a head-light equipped with a built in lens of this kind is illuminated by its own lamp, it is not necessary to make the marginal lens in sectional form and it is not necessary to illuminate such lenses from an approaching vehicle to show the position of the. lam-pend the vehicle which supports it.

By making letters, characters, marginal edges, and the like, of running lens sections in accordance with this invention, it is possible to utilize the sections made of glass or a similar reflecting medium for letters and signs of large size for display and advertising purposes. The number of different forms required is less than the number of different letters which makes it less expensive to produce large letters and characters and also reduces the cost if a letter or portion of a letter or character is broken. It is also easier to replace a portion of a letter or character than it is to replace the whole letter.

I claim:

1. A sign character comprising a transparent body with a continuous convex front lens running with the character and made of sections cut transversely of the runninglens portion, a convex rear reflecting portion, anattaching rim at the opposite edges at the juncture of the front lens and rear portion] a perforated-plate through which the lens portion projects and engages the front of said rim, the sections fltting closely together to make a unitary character, and each section having a rear engaging 'means to hold it separately against the front plate.

2. In a sectional sign character, a plurality of separate sections, each having a convex lens front, a convex reflecting back, and a marginal rim at the edges of the section; the sections fitting together closely and forming a character with a continuous lens running with the character, and

having minute partspherical closely spaced indentations in the reflecting surface; and a'holder comprising a plate to engage the front side of the rim and means to engage the rear of the reflecting surface and press the sections against the plate for retaining them together and in place.

3. A sectional sign character comprising separate sections each havinga front projecting lens portion, a convex rear surface with innumerable regular part-spherical depressions forming mi-- nute reflectors, and side projecting rims at the juncture ofthe frontlens portion and rear. surface, and holder means engaging the front of the rims and the rear surface between them, of each section. I

4. In a sectionalsign character, a plurality of separate sections, each having an outwardly rounded lens front, a convex reflecting back and marginal projecting rims at the junctures of the front and back; the back having innumerable part-spherical depressions extending inwardly and forming reflectorsfiand a holder for said sections comprising spaced plates, the front one having perforations through which the lens fronts -of the sections project until it engages the rims,

and the rear plate having adjustable engaging means movable in contact with the back of the section to press the rims the front plate.

Josnrn 'r. 

